Solar Panels Down and No Installer to Call: Step-by-Step Fix

Before panicking, confirm the system is actually producing zero power — not just that your monitoring app is glitchy. Check two things:

• Look at your last 3 electricity bills. Has your bill gone up significantly? A sudden spike is a strong signal your system stopped producing.
• Check your monitoring app if it still works. Look at the production graph — is today showing zero, or has production dropped gradually over weeks?

Walk to your inverter — usually mounted on an exterior wall near your main electrical panel or in your garage. Look at the status lights or display screen.

• Solid green: Inverter thinks it's working — issue may be with individual panels or monitoring communication.
• Flashing green: Normal — system is producing but not at full capacity (common in morning/evening).
• Red or orange light: Fault detected — this is a warranty claim situation. Note any error code shown.
• No lights at all: Check that your solar breaker in the main panel hasn't tripped, and that the AC disconnect switch near the inverter is in the ON position.

A reset resolves roughly 20% of inverter faults — worth trying before filing a warranty claim.

• All systems: Turn off the AC disconnect switch → wait 60 seconds → turn back on. Then wait 15–20 minutes for the system to reconnect.
• Enphase: Press and hold the reset button on your IQ Gateway for 5 seconds until the light flashes. Or reset via the Enlighten app under System → Gateway → Restart.
• SolarEdge: Use the on/off switch on the inverter. Wait 2 full minutes before turning back on.
• SunPower/Maxeon: Reset the monitoring hub. Individual microinverters don't have user-accessible reset buttons.

Don't assume — confirm. Some installers are acquired rather than closed, and the acquiring company may have assumed warranty obligations.

• Google your installer's company name + "bankrupt" or "closed"
• Try calling their main number — disconnected or voicemail full is a strong signal
• Check their website — many closed companies leave their sites up
• Search the PACER federal court database for bankruptcy filings
• Check your state's Secretary of State business registry to see if their business license is still active

You likely have two separate warranties — one for your panels and one for your inverter. Both survive installer bankruptcies.

• Panel warranty: Issued by your panel manufacturer (SunPower/Maxeon, Canadian Solar, Q CELLS, REC, Jinko, LG, Panasonic). Typically 25 years covering product defects and power output performance.
• Inverter warranty: Issued by your inverter manufacturer (Enphase, SolarEdge, SMA, Fronius, Tesla). Typically 10–25 years covering hardware defects.
• Workmanship warranty: Issued by your installer — this one is likely gone if your installer closed. However, if installation defects caused equipment damage, the equipment manufacturer may still cover it.

Before filing a warranty claim, gather as much of this as you can. You don't need everything — manufacturers can often look up systems by address — but more documentation speeds things up.

• Original installation contract or proposal
• Permit documents (usually filed with your city or county)
• Equipment specs sheet or warranty cards
• Panel model number and serial numbers (on the panel frame or in your contract)
• Inverter serial number (on a sticker on the inverter itself)
• Photos of the issue — error codes on the display, physical damage, etc.
• Monitoring data showing the production drop or outage
• Your electricity bills from the past 3–6 months

This is the step most homeowners don't realize they can do themselves. Every major manufacturer has a direct warranty claims process for homeowners — you don't need your installer.

Contact your panel manufacturer and your inverter manufacturer separately — these are two different companies with two different claims processes. Visit our manufacturer directory for direct contact information and claim instructions for every major brand.

The most common mistake homeowners make is submitting incomplete documentation. A professional claim letter that includes the right technical language, the correct warranty terms, and your complete system details gets processed significantly faster than a casual email.

First denials are common — don't give up. You have several escalation options:

• Escalate internally: Ask to speak with the manufacturer's warranty supervisor or escalations team. Reference your warranty terms specifically.
• File a BBB complaint: A Better Business Bureau complaint often triggers faster manufacturer response.
• Contact your state attorney general: Most states have consumer protection offices that handle warranty disputes. Solar companies take these seriously.
• Contact your state's public utilities commission: In many states, solar systems are regulated utilities and the PUC has enforcement authority.
• Check for state-specific solar protections: California, Florida, New York, and several other states have specific solar consumer protection laws that go beyond standard warranty law.